I like the media. Do you like the media?

Urban Meyer appears to be coming undone right in front of our eyes, but there’s a larger issue at play here regarding the relationship between teams and the industry that covers them.

Paul Finebaum wrote a harsh, accurate column on the fact that more and more colleges — and professional teams as well — believe they no longer need the media. For one thing, economics has reduced coverage of many teams. For another thing, teams have learned they can spin their own message.

Check out texassports.com the day after a University of Texas football game. There are quotes, statistics and columns about as good as you get in many newspapers. There’s exclusive access to Mack Brown as well, and the questions are the same ones the media would ask. Only they’re asked in a calmer setting by someone Mack trusts, and in many cases, the answers are better than anything reporters get.

So why read a newspaper? I read Kirk Bohls in the American-Statesman because I trust his reporting and opinions, because I know he’s unafraid to deal with issues the school’s web site won’t.

But I’ve also sat there and seen the hundreds of emails he gets after a tough column, and very few of them compliment him on a thoughtful, well-written piece. They tell him he sucks, that he ought to leave town, that we don’t need someone questioning Mack and Greg.

Of course, not every web site is as good as Texas’. I asked the owner of one of our professional sports franchises the other day if he thought the day was coming when his team would cover itself, and if that coverage would be his primary source of information.

”Absolutely not,” he said.

His point was that an industry simply can’t cover itself. That’s true of Microsoft and CBS News, and it’s true of the Rockets, Astros and Texans. If you’re being paid by the team you cover, you simply won’t touch certain topics.

Let’s say a general manager has made a bunch of bad decisions in free agency. Will there ever be a tough, fair piece on those signings and the thought process that led to them?

No, there won’t be, and even if the reporter wanted to write about it, the idea would be killed faster than you can say Ahman Green.

On the other hand, are we in the media doing enough of that kind of reporting ourselves? We probably are not.

Do readers care? Can they tell any difference between a team’s coverage of itself and a newspaper’s coverage of that team? In way too many cases, the stories could be swapped and no one would know the difference.

Fans of the Astros and Texans are very, very different. When I criticize the Astros, I’m told I stink because I didn’t do it sooner. When I criticize the Texans, I’m told I shouldn’t criticize the Texans because they are ours. I’m not sure why there’s such an attitude difference, but it’s real. If I had a dollar for everytime I’ve been advised to be like one of those butt-kissing fan bloggers, I’d have, well, some money.

These are good topics at a time, not just when newspapers are dealing with a new economic reality, but when fans have so many choices about how they digest news and what they digest.

Michael Crichton said newspapers wouldn’t survive because they wouldn’t adjust. That is, readers now are so much better informed and that if newspaper coverage continues to be a mile wide and an inch deep, they become unnecessary. In a changing environment, we have to do more reporting, not less, more critical pieces, not fewer.

There are things we still do better than anyone, and those things must be our focus going forward. I get lots of emails telling me they hope I get fired (or worse) because I don’t support their favorite team or school. I know they don’t mean it. I know they’d miss me.

Some owners want real reporters around. Drayton McLane — and I believe Mark Cuban as well — have offered to let the local newspapers fly for free on their team planes with the freedom to write whatever they want. They both apparently feel the credibility of independent journalism outweighs the occasional annoyance over articles they don’t like.

Cuban wrote last year that while he was a huge fan of the Rangers and Cowboys, he never looked at their team web sites for information. He still went to the Dallas Morning News or Fort Worth Star-Telegram because he trusted the independence. And this is from a guy who has had battles with dozens of reporters.

Bud Selig would understand. Baseball has the strongest and best of the industry-generated news coverage in MLB.com and MLB Network, but he remains an advocate of journalism.

”Your access will not be limited as long as I’m here,” he told a meeting of baseball writers a couple of years ago.

(For a historical reference, this quipster is the same guy who convinced me it would be a good idea to sneak around Selig’s yard early one Sunday morning last summer, and he’s the guy who, seeing President Obama walk to the mound in St. Louis wearing jeans, yelled: ”Hey look, Air Force One lost his luggage.”)

There was laughter all around, but also a deeper message. When Selig goes, MLB’s respect for journalism may go, too. The next guy may not like the give-and-take after critical stories. He may not believe that independent journalism is important. Ah well. It was good while it lasted.

• • •

Kornheiser and Lance Armstrong fight it out, no one likes Bill Simmons and that’s just the beginning. Norman Chad

48 Responses

I think you touched on important issues in the sports journalism industry. I myself am a sports journalism student at the University of Texas. I’ve covered a number of different sports for The Daily Texan, our school newspaper, and have learned first hand the importance of journalism outside the press releases that texassports.com gives us. We provide fair and accurate coverage, be it praise worthy or critical. Good column.

If Bud and baseball are strong advocates of journalism, what happened to Peter Pascarelli? One day he makes a comment about Seling and then he is no longer on Baseball Today.

[You're saying that Selig heard Peter had made an unflattering joke and whispered to his people, ''Have ESPN remove him.'' I'll bet it happened exactly that way. Wonder how Buster Olney keeps his job? How did Gammons keep his? If Selig does the hiring and firing at ESPN, he needs to do a much better job of it. How do you explain Ken Rosenthal working for MLB Network? He has been very critical of Selig through the years, and yet he ends up working for MLB's TV arm. And now Gammons is working for MLB Network, and he killed Selig at times. And then how do you explain Jerome Holtzman, who had also written critically of Selig, being hired by Selig as MLB's historian? Look like you came in here thinking you had me cornered, and now you're curled up in a fetal position begging me to stop stomping your face with facts.--Richard]

Good God, Richard. How ironic that you write a piece about journalism and it be so full of grammatical mistakes, wrong words, and fragmented sentences. Who proof reads? Apparently nobody. Your lead is about what Urban Meyer said (which you fail to tell us) and the first paragraph is about….oh nevermind. Did someone slip something in your coffee?

I will be the first to admit that I have not always been a fan of yours, but sometimes you do right a piece that I believe is well thought out, well researched and unbiased…and I enjoy those. I then don’t understand why you insist on neutering your work with pot shots at people responding to your blog. I didn’t take Bret’s comment as an overt assinine attack on you or MLB but rather a question from someone that didn’t have all of the facts as you note. But why end the response with a comment that shows a lack of professionalism. Why not just respond with your facts and leave it at that? I might be more inclined to read more articles or blogs from someone that writes a professional piece with the facts and insight that I don’t have access to without all the other stuff. Is it to gain an emotional response? Is it to sensationalize the issue or draw attention to yourself and away from the article/blog? The problem with media today (especially tv analysts and some radio personalities) is that they believe they must have some “schtick” or persona that screams “Look at me” to get any attention. What happened to the days of reporting the facts and some opinions/editorials without shots at a person or group?

I appreciate good journalism – but the way organizations like sports teams conglomorate all their media coverage (press conferences and whanot) all the different media outlets in the world essentially have the same thing to report. In depth journalism of my local teams by someone who has connections to the team is better. The problem is keeping bias out – I’m no fan of Homers like “VanderSpin” on 610 nor do i care for bashing the local team like Adam Clanton and his Astros-hate. Just give me the fact that the other media outlets cannot by way of your inroads with the organization and I’ll read what you write. Simple, yeah?

Good article. Even though I read the paper online now, it’s still “the paper” in my book. I miss the days when this city had two newspapers competing over stories. I think it made the coverage better. I also miss some of the reporters we used to have around here. It’s a lesser place to live without them around digging up the news.

If I want statistics, standings, links to other team websites, cheerleder..uh…information, etc., I log onto the team websites. But if I really want to find out what other people are saying about an incident or what the arresting police officer said…..in other words, the complete story, then I read the newspaper. I mean, how many times have you read on a team’s website that they can’t report the story until they get the official release from the team or ” the story, as reported by the Houston Chronicle…”.

Just checkout McTaggert’s writing on Astros.com. Before he would say things like “They will lose 90 games this year” or “they don’t stand a chance”. Now it is like “they should be competitive if….” or “if the pitching holds up….”. Even his blog is tame compared to his previous blog with Chron.com.

Anyway, I would rather read an article with facts that I know are wrong, researching a statistics website to prove myself wrong, and then telling myself that I knew the printed facts were right all the time. That’s what America is all about!

Mark Cuban actually went further than what you wrote. He proposed, with the Cowboys, Stars, and Rangers to PAY the salaries of the beat writers for the local newspapers, so that their teams could keep getting coverage. He guaranteed their independency as to opinion (only the newspapers themselves could control writing content/firings, etc). He recognized what is happening in the newsprint, media business and does NOT want it to go away. He was rebuked.

I think Cuban gets it, though.

Cuban’s deal might have that creepy feeling of sleeping with your cousin, but he has made his fortune by thinking outside the box, and I think he was sincere in his offer of independency for the writers and reporters.

In response to Rick’s comment (11:44AM): It’s a Blog – and one of the characteristics of Blogs is that they do not necessarily conform to grammar rules. In fact, that’s part of the appeal – off the cuff writing with no concern for specific grammar rules.

And for RJ…you wrote > Based on that info, Richard, and the fact that 610 is a front for pro-McNair and pro-texan talk, I assume you asked either Les or Drayton that question?

Thank you for a thought-provoking blog topic (one that probably will, unfortunately, turn off a lot of pure sports fans). My only problem is you led with Urban Meyer’s recent dressing down of a local reporter, choosing to characterize it as a meltdown.

I personally think the only thing Meyer didn’t do correctly was to be more specific in his complaint to the reporter rather than vaguely lashing out. Essentially, however, Meyer had a legitimate complaint.

As I recall from memory, this reporter quoted one of Florida’s players as calling the new quarterback set to replace Tebow as ” … a real quarterback.” It was a direct quote, but it was taken completely out of context. The player was made to look like he was disrespecting or marginalizing Tebow, when it was very obvious what he meant in the larger context of the interview was that the new QB was more conventional, less likely to run with the ball. The player caught significant criticism over the comment.

Reporters — sports and other news, newspaper, magazine, TV and Internet — often seem to listen to their tape recorders to use quotes or get soundbites but don’t really listen to whom they interview, then take that info and paraphrase it in a fair, accurate manner.

Urban Meyer was understandably angry over the result. I only wish he would have collected himself and explained the problem he had to the reporter in more detail. But, Meyer shouldn’t be put in a situation of explaining journalistic principles to a sports reporter.

It just seems like writers these days always have an agenda and are motivated by political pressure or affiliation (i.e. Fox News). News seems to have turned into propaganda and I’m sure some of that mistrust readers have has seeped into the perseption fo sports media.

It doesn’t help when writers antagonize folks from other schools (cough, cough) em, Justice. I know you do it for fun, but it seems (again, perception) like other guys aren’t always real objective.

The problem with today’s media is that with the internet, cable TV and so on the competition for readers and subscribers has become so fierce that a lot of journalist have become sensationalists. You never really know who is telling the truth or just what will sell. I’m sure I am not telling you anything you don’t and this does not apply to sports journalism but politics, entertainment you name it. To me the question is not “Do I like the media?” but do I trust the media, and the answer to that is no.

The problem with today’s media is that with the internet, cable TV and so on the competition for readers and subscribers has become so fierce that a lot of journalist have become sensationalists. You never really know who is telling the truth or just what will sell. I’m sure I am not telling you anything you don’t and this does not apply to just sports journalism but politics, entertainment you name it. To me the question is not “Do I like the media?” but do I trust the media, and the answer to that is no. Nothing personal intended with that commentary Richard.

I am a student at UH Clear Lake and for a class I have to interview someone in the media or PR about your job. I was wondering if you aren’t busy I can interview you face to face, or by email one of these days. I would really appreciate it alot.

1)I like the media as long as they respectfully cover things and actually show a little knowledge of what they are talking about. I’ve never liked you Justice because you are basically a Skip Bayless wannabe who flip flops and changes direction like the wind on every person and team in town. You’re actually a lot easier to listen to on the radio because I’d rather listen to your stories. If you don’t like Rick Smith, fine by me, just stick with it and don’t tell me the next day what a great job he is doing 2)I love Bill Simmons. Not because he is right or agree with all he says but because he can actually bridge the gap of culture and what keeps people interested today with real sports knowledge. The guy knows more about the NBA than most writers out there. He can articulate arguments that make you think. He can also be damn funny without being condescending(take a hint). 3) Many people in the media, like yourself, started taking yourselves way too seriously and you turned into something like the NBA refs who thought they were part of the game…thinking you were the story instead of reporting the story.

Since you are the media, just when did you fall in love with yourself?

The Houston Press back in the ’50s and ’60s now there was writing. And I remember the time back them when a reporter for the Chron leaned back in his chair and yelling out “Boy!” and a new hired young man did not know that since the start of newpapers copy runners were called “copy boys” and usually reports just yelled out “BOY” and punched the guy right in the mouth. That’s when I liked the media.

Very interesting piece. Personally the only reason I ever go to the local sport team sites, or UT’s site (I’m an alum), is to find a game schedule, etc. But never for “news” as I realize that it has most certainly been sanitized in some way.

At the same time, the reason I no longer subscribe to the Chronicle is because of precisely what you mentioned, the coverage is “a mile wide and an inch deep”. I found myself reading the main headline articles in news, sports, and business, and a couple of columnists (yes, your column was one of them). The rest, at least it seemed to me, was either advertising or complete drivel. The end result was just a whole lot of paper to recycle.

The thing is, these days I can get the main headlines just about anywhere online. Which is why I suppose the newspapers aren’t doing too well (and why I still receive a weekly call from the Chronicle asking me to resubscribe).

That being said, the newspapers obviously serve a critical function in our society, obviously as a check and balance to government but also as a check and balance to our sports teams.

Anyway, here’s my idea to save the Chronicle: Have an online subscription ($x per month or $x per year) that (a) eliminates all pop-up advertising and (b) perhaps allows the subscriber to customize a page of news that is important to them. I would happily pay $100 a year to be able to filter out some of the drivel the Chronicle puts on their home page, and just have the good stuff like important news, some business, and of course your column.

That Bill Simmons fella is laughing all the way to the bank. [insert Rocky IV analogy here]. @Jamie Barnes… hit the nail on the head. Urban Meyer could’ve handled that episode differently, but taking the reporter to task was the appropriate reaction.There will always be a market for objective, creditable news about sports. Without independence, the reporting has zero credence. Team websites are like reading the sports page on Zoloft. I don’t need “PR Serotonin” to interfere with my pessimism.

I think we are at a juncture where its possible newspapers are going the path of radio at the advent of TV. Almost dead, becoming a jukebox, for 50 years (until Rush re-invented radio through talk radio.) I think the newspaper and journalism as we know it is dying due to the very facts you are stating. However, I think journalism and you can survive in a different incarnation. If you and your fellow writers and editors figure it out, you can create your own future. Otherwise, you’re at the whim of others.

Do you ever read (and know) Buck Harvey in San Antonio? Just like I really enjoy your stuff (and I really do) I enjoy his writing. However, he doesn’t write as much as you do and I don’t understand why.

Responsible media is great. I think the difference between how people view your Astros writing and your Texans writing is that you dont have much credibility when it comes to football and the Texans in particular.

First of all, your columns and blog posts are filled with factual errors about the Texans. When your commenters have to point out errors all the time, it is hard to have much faith in what you are writing.

Secondly, your opinions about the Texans are all over the place. One moment you want to fire Kubiak in the middle of a game, and the next week you think hes the best thing that has happened to Houston and no other coach who would be better to replace him.

Thirdly, you get on vendettas about the team that make readers question whether you can write anything sensible and fair about them. You hate Rick Smith. You verbally crushed Mario Williams before he even got on the field because he wasn’t Vince Young, and now you crush him because he wants no part of talking to the person who has said so many ugly things about him.

When you are over the top nasty without really explaining why you are being that way, your readers just figure everything you write about the Texans is going to be crazy.

We get it. You love baseball. You write about football because it is something that others care about. You have nothing intelligent to say about the Texans so you write bomb throwing things about them every once in a while.

If you want to be respected for your talk about the Texans, why dont you turn into someone who actually knows about football and follows it carefully, like Rick Gosselin. I like the media fine when the media writes well, writes responsibly, and actually writes things that I don’t already know. Be more like Rick, and Texan fans will like your writing just fine.

I dont think your credibility is much better with the Astros, but at least you seem to care more about baseball, like you are actually trying.

I like people telling me the way it really is when they actually know about the subject. If it is just about saying whatever the controversial thing of the day is, yeah, Id probably rather read the teams website.

Look at what a wonderful job the media has done at exposing sports scandals lately. Imagine Jose freakin Conseco being the one to blow the whistle on the steroid epidemic in baseball. What about the fixed NBA referees? Are telling me the media wasn’t all over that right from the start? Why do you think the NBA fines coaches and players who criticize corrupt officiating to the media? Let’s discuss the NFL’s or the PGA’s wife and drug abusing, dog fight and gambling promoting, prostitute and philandering millionaire prima donas. Yeah that was the media on top of those things all right, Right after the police made arrests or TMZ showed the video clips. The media is indisputably biased. Sports have gotten as bad as politics. Did anyone hear anything about the doctor shortage in massachusetts under Romneycare until AFTER Congress passed Obamcare NATIONWIDE? Yeah, I like the media, they are truly reliable, objective purveyors of truth. NOT!

Your chutzpah to bring this up is interesting. Bart-1, Vinny, C.Miller, all have legit arguments that touch on the obvious problems with the media. I’d prefer you be brutally honest, critical of players, coaches, organizations if need be. Flip flopping is not admirable. Just stick to one line. And admitting you’re wrong never hurts. I don’t consider you a Skip Bayless type, and I think you’d be good at interviews with probing questions.